The subject matter of this specification relates generally to search systems.
Local business searching has become a popular feature in some search engines. Local business search helps users find businesses near a particular geographic location that can serve their needs. Local business search can benefit businesses by providing additional exposure. Local business search can benefit consumers by providing consumers a convenient way to find local businesses.
Many search engines perform some kind of ranking on search results, to give the user some basis of comparison amongst search results. Any number of signals can be used for the ranking. For local business search, signals that indicate popularity, ratings or the like are not readily available. As a result, the rankings of local businesses in a local business search may be less informative.